Does the Skoda Octavia fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Skoda Octavia records 1.54 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.41 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−0.87, 95% interval −0.89 to −0.84). It ranks 352 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Skoda Octavia by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Skoda Octavia is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 7,022 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 7,022 | 0.59 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 5,539 | 0.47 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 4,059 | 0.34 |
| EPS MIL indicating a system malfunction | 544 | 0.05 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 263 | 0.02 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,181,220 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Skoda Octavia gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
13.8% of Skoda Octavia MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,473 miles later (3,708 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,708 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Skoda Octavia 1999 · Skoda Octavia 2000 · Skoda Octavia 2001 · Skoda Octavia 2002 · Skoda Octavia 2003 · Skoda Octavia 2004 · Skoda Octavia 2005 · Skoda Octavia 2006 · Skoda Octavia 2007 · Skoda Octavia 2008 · Skoda Octavia 2009 · Skoda Octavia 2010 · Skoda Octavia 2011 · Skoda Octavia 2012 · Skoda Octavia 2013 · Skoda Octavia 2014 · Skoda Octavia 2015 · Skoda Octavia 2016 · Skoda Octavia 2017 · Skoda Octavia 2018 · Skoda Octavia 2019 · Skoda Octavia 2020 · Skoda Octavia in Norway · Skoda Octavia in Finland · Skoda Octavia in the Netherlands · Skoda Octavia by postcode area · Skoda Octavia body, chassis and structure failures · Skoda Octavia brakes failures · Skoda Octavia vehicle identification failures · Skoda Octavia lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Skoda Octavia noise, emissions and leaks failures · Skoda Octavia road wheels failures · Skoda Octavia seat belts and airbags failures · Skoda Octavia suspension failures · Skoda Octavia tyres failures · Skoda Octavia visibility failures